Rod bundle transfer device



July 9, 1940. P. s. WICK ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER DEVICE s Sheets-She et 1 Filed June 8, 1939 [mania]? PETE/e 6 July 9, 1940. P. s. WICK ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1939 I- V A a LN mmh bzveiziar.

PETE/e 5 406K,

July 9, 1940, l 2,207,648

ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER DEVICE Filed June 8, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 47 J0 J5 45 I' W.

m p o 635 w 70 a9 a! 5/ 9/ F E. 4. O r I5 E M J 79 u 1101675107:

a\ /a PETE/Q 5. /CK,

i/i/f/fley Patented July 9, 1940 uuirso srArss ensure ROD BUNDLE TRANSFER. DEVICE Peter s.-w| ck, Duluth, Minn assignor to nu American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a ccrporation of New Jersey Application .lune. s, 1939, Serial No. 278,139

2 Claims. (01. 198-20) This invention relates to the handling of hot coiled rod and, more particularly to rod bundle transfer devices which operate to move and bundle having its central aperture extending 5 vertically into a right-angular position.

In the manufacture of .rod, the rolling mill, hereinafter referred to as the rod mill, is provided with a .device which coils the rod into bundles and delivers it horizontally over a bed with its axis extending vertically. The delivery means is in the form of a floor level intermittently operating drag conveyor. From this last named instrumentality, it is desired to transfer the rod bundles to a continuously operating hook 5 conveyor for further cooling, inspection, trimming, and subsequent processing. The essential point in the transfer of the rod bundle from one conveyor to the other is that the to'p of the bundle asit lays on the intermittently operating drag o conveyor, which is the last end rolled in the mill,

ent after referring to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of. a portion of the apparatus of Figure 2 in a modi- 40 fled position;

Figure 4 is a view on the line IV-IV of Figure 2; and,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, thenumeral 2 designates the bed of an intermittently operating drag conveyor. This bed 2 is provided with a longitudinal slot 3 through which drag hooks 4 project. These drag hooks tare driven in a suitable manner (not shown) and embody elongated pcrtions which are adapted to extend vertically through the centers of the rod bundles being conveyed.

Adjacent the terminus of operation of. the drag conveyor, the elongated portions 5 of the drag hooks 4 are withdrawn from the longitudinal slot 3 in the bed 2. -At this end of the drag con, veyor, extending in the same direction as the longitudinal slot 3 in the bed 2, and on either side thereof, is a slot l Immediately beneath I each of the slots i0 is a horizontally pivoted arm l2 adapted to move through the slot and in an arc toward the rod mill. The slots ill and. accordingly, thearms l2 are closer together than the diameter of the rod bundles, and the bundles 1 are adapted'to be raised thereby in an arc with the top portions thereof moving toward the rod mill.

Immediately beneath the parallel arms l2 there is disposed an electric motor l having'a conventional magnetic brake It. The drive shaft of the motor I5 is connected to the driving shaft of an adjacently disposed speedreducer l8. At each end of the driven shaft of the speed reducer ii there is secured a crank 20. Each of the cranks I is pivotallyv connected to a connecting rod 22.

The pivots, hereinafter designated 24, for the parallel arms I2, carry bell crank'levers which are shown in the full-line position of Figure 2 as having short horizontal portions 25' and long as downwardly depending portions 25*.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, each of the arms I2 is provided with a short longitudinally extending slot 21. Beneath each 'of the slots 21 there is disposed a dog 29 comprising a V-shaped 30 lever having one of its ends pivoted to the adjacent arm l2 and its free end 33 disposed for movement through the slot 21. These dogs 29 are more clearly shown in Figure 2.

The long downwardly depending portions 25 of 86 the bell crank levers 25 are adapted to engage, and accordingly raise and lower, the arms I2 through the operation of the electric motor ii.

The pivoted side of each of. the dogs 29 is provided with a slot 3| and the downwardly depend- 0 ing portion 25 of the adjacent bell crank lever 25 carries a pin 32 which rides in the slot. This permits the protrusion of the free ends 33 of the dogs 29 through the slots 21 in the arms l2. Thus the rod bundle is not only lifted by the .arms i2 45 and moved in an are, but it is prevented from sliding off the arms i2 by means of the free ends 33 of. the dogs 29.

As shown in Figure 2, a continuously operating hook conveyor is disposed to have its hooks 30 move at approximate right-angles with respect to the direction of movement of the intermittently operating hook conveyor. This hook conveyor is provided with a number of hooks which extend toward the drag conveyor.

FIFVICEX. I

, four-wheeled carriage 39 is so constructed, and

the distance between the tracks 38 such, that the hooks 4 of the intermittently operating drag conveyor and the rod bundles carried thereby are freely moved under said carriage toward the continuously operating hook conveyor.

The four-wheeled carriage 39 carries a pair of longitudinally extending tracks 4| upon which there is mounted a four-wheeled carriage 43. The four-wheeled carriage 39 carries a pair of resilient buffers 45, while the four-wheeled carriage 43 carries a cooperating pair of strike plates 41, whereby the movement of the last named carriage away from the rod bundle lifting arms I2 is limited.

Reciprocating motion is given the upper fourwheeled carriage 43 by an electric motor 58 which is disposed beneath the lower four-wheeled carrlage 39. This electric motor 50 is provided with a conventional magnetic brake 5|. The drive shaft of the motor 50 is connected to the driving shaft of an adjacently disposed speed reducer 53. At one end of the driven shaft of the speed reducer 53 there is secured a crank 54 which is pivotally connected to a connecting rod 55.

Immediately above the outer end of the connecting rod 55 there is disposed a substantially vertically extending lever 51 which is pivoted intermediate its ends, as shown at 58.

The lower end of the lever 51 is short and is pivotally connected, as shown at 50, to the outer end of the adjacent connecting rod 55. The upper end of the lever 51 is long and is pivotally connected, as at 5|, to a link 62 which is, in turn, pivotally connected, as at 63, to the adjacent end of the four-wheeled carriage 43.

As reciprocating motion is imparted to the f ourwheeled carriage 43 by the electric motor 50, a like but lesser motion is transferred to the lower four-wheeled carriage 39 through the tracks 4| and buffer devices 45 and 41.

The upper four-wheeled carriage 43 carries an electric motor 55, the drive shaft of which is connected to the driving shaft of an adjacently disposed speed reducer 61. At one end of the driven shaft of the speed reducer 61 there is secured a crank 69, which is pivotally connected to a connecting rod 10.

The outer end of the connecting rod is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 1I immediately adjacent which there is pivotally mounted a bell crank lever 13. The upper end of this bell crank lever 13 is bifurcated and provided with a pin 15 which rides in the slot 1 I in the connecting rod 10. The lower end of the bell crank lever 13 is long and forms a prong 11 which is constructed and arranged to pick up rod bundles which have been elevated by the lifting arms I2 to the dotted-line position of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 8 of the drawings, the end of the lower four-wheeled carriage which is most adjacent the continuously operating 11001; conveyor carries a pair of pivoted vertically extending upwardly converging bars 88 which terminate in an inverted loop 8|. This inverted loop 8| straddles the prong 11 when the latter is in the dotted-line horizontal position of Figure 2.

One of the vertically extending upwardly converging bars 80 has a right-angular extension 88 at its pivotal mounting which is pivotally connected to a downwardly depending link 84. Be-

neath the right-angular extension 83 on the lower end of one of the vertically extending upwardly I converging bars 80 there is disposed a substanof the adjacent downwardly depending link 84.

The other end of the substantially horizontally extending lever 85 depends downwardly to a slight extent and thereby is enabled to make contact with a roller 81 on the adjacent upwardly extending end 31 of the tracks 38.

In Figure 5 of the drawings, I have disclosed a modified form of apparatus of the invention. According to this embodiment, there is a pair of widely spaced cam plates I beside one of the tracks 36. The lower four-wheeled carriage 38 carries a pivoted follower I22 to which there is connected a pair of vertically extending upwardly divergent rods I24. Each of the rods I24 is connected to'a pawl I26 which, together, serve to lock the bumper devices and 41 on the return movement of the lower four-wheeled carriage 38 and the wheels of the upper four-wheeled carriage 43 against the end of the tracks M. This prevents inertia of the lower four-wheeled carriage 39 from separating it from its relative position with the upper four-wheeled carriage 43 when the.

latter is decelerating at the ends of its motion.

In operation:

A rod bundle is delivered by one of the hooks 4 of the intermittently operating drag conveyor to the position designated at A in Figures 1 and 2, at which point it rests on the bed 2 of the drag conveyor and the rod bundle lifting arms I2. The

operation of the electric motor I5 is initiated in any suitable manner, whereupon the cranks 20 are caused to make one complete revolution, on completion of which the magnetic brake I5 is applied. This limited rotation of the cranks 20 is controlled by a limit switch 90 which is operated thereby. The rotation of the cranks 20 acting through the connecting rods 22 and the bell crank levers 25 first causes the dogs 29 to move to the position designated in dotted-lines at B in Figure 2. While in this position the free ends 33 of the dogs 29 are behind the rod bundle. At this time, the downwardly depending portions 25' of the bell crank levers 25 are raised into contact with the rod bundle lifting arms I2, causing the outer ends of the latter to rise and thereby form an increasing inclined thereupon. The rod bundle will slide backwardly until it is resting against the free ends 33 of the dogs 29, whereby the rod bundle is carried to the position designated at C in Figure 2, thus relatively inserting the prong 11 in the position shown in full lines in Figure 2.

At this point of operation, an interlock between the limit switch 98 and a limit switch 9| which is operated by the driven shaft of the speed reducer 51, initiates the operation of the electrical motor 65. This causes the prong 11 to be elevated to the horizontal dotted-line position D shown in Figure 2. At this point, the limit switch 9| stops the motor 55.

As the rod bundle is raised from the position C by the prong 11, the rod bundle lifting arms I! will continue in their cycle and recede downwardly from their uppermost position to their 5 original horizontal position. The free ends 33 of the dogs 29 then recede to rest in a position showninfulllinesinFigure2. I

The operator then closes a manual switch when an empty hook 35 of the continuously opersting hook conveyor reaches a predetermined position. At this point, there is operated in any suitable manner (not shown) the electric motor IO, which, through the connections referred to hereinbefore, advances the upper four-wheeled carriage 43, thereby moving the prong 11 from the horizontal position D shown in Figure 2 to .the horizontal position F of the same figure, thus relatively inserting the hook into the rod bundle. In the meanwhile, the roller 81 on the I! upwardly extending portion. :1 of-the track as engages the slightly downwardly depending portion of the lever 85 which actuates the vertically extending upwardly converging rods 8| and the inverted loop'tl connecting the same to act as ll a stripper bar to hold the rod bundle in the position G of Figure 3 while the prong I1 is withdrawn. During this time, the electric motorcontinues to run, driving the crank ll past dead center, causing the upper four-wheeled carriage 43 to recede and carry with it the prong TI. This relative motion of the upper four-wheeled carriage It with respect to the lower four- .wheeled carriage 19 withdraws the prong 11 while the rods ll and inverted connecting loop 8 ll remain ilxed, thus dropping the rod bundle onto the hook 35 in the position designated at G in Figure 3.

The bumper devices II and 41 are now in con tact and the continued motion of the upper four- I wheeled carriage It moves the lower fourwheeled carriage 10 from the position shown'in full lines inl'igureiitothepositionshowninfulllines in Figure 2. The lever 85, being relieved of the roller 01 on the upwardly extending end of the track ll, permits the rods ll and inverted connecting loop II to be returned to the position shown in Figure 2 by meansof a suitable counterweight Ill. The upper four-wheeled carriage it, now in its I rearward position, advances relative to the lower four-wheeled carriage 3!. At this time, a magnetic brake ll stops the motor ill and brings the upper four-wheeled carriage 43 to rest with its wheels in contact with the adjacent (left- I handed) upwardly extending ends 31' of the tracks I. (see Figure 2). An interlock of a limit switch I" on the driving shaft of the speed reducer II with the limit switch I starts the motor II to return the prong 'II to its starting posi- I tion. This completes the cycle of operation.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention and a modificationthereof, it will be understood that these embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my in- 5 vention, as defined in the appended claims.

, I claim:

1. Conveying apparatus for rod bundles comprising, in combination, a conveyor adapted to move the rod bundles in a substantially horil0 zontal path with the axes thereof substantially vertical, a conveyor adapted to move said rod bundles in a path at substantial right angles with respectto the path of said first-named conveyor and with the axes thereof substantially horil5 zontal, and intermediately disposed means adapted to elevate said rod bundles from said first-named conveyor inan a'rcuate path with the upper convolutions of said bundles away from said second-named conveyor, said means being 20 constructed and arranged to support said rod bundles with their axes substantially horizontal and to transfer the same onto said second-named conveyor, said means including a reciprocable truck carrying a horizontally pivoted prong for 95 supporting the rod bundles, means for elevating and lowering said prong, means for stripping the rod bundles from said prong onto said second-named conveyor, and means for imparting reciprocatory movement to said reciprocable go truck.

2. Conveying apparatus for rod bundles comprising, in combination, a conveyor adapted to move the rod bundles in a substantially horizontal path with the axes thereof substantially vertical, a conveyor adapted to move said rod bundles in a path at substantial right angles with respect to the path of said first-named con veyor and with the axes thereof substantially horizontal, and intermediately disposed means 9 adapted to elevate said rod bundles from said first-named conveyor in an arcuate path with the upper convolutions of said bundles away from said'second-named' conveyor, said means being constructed-and arranged to support said rod 4 bundles with their axes substantially horizontal and to transfer the same onto said second-named conveyor, said means including a reciprocable truck carrying a horizontally pivoted prong for supporting the rod bundles, means for elevating so and lowering said prong, means for stripping the rod bundles from said prong onto said secondnamed conveyor, a second reciprocable truck for supporting said first-named reciprocable truck.

a driving connection between said first-named l6 reciprocable truck and said second-named reciprocable truck, and means for imparting reciprocatory movement to said first-named reciprocable truck. 

